“Did he have much to say?” asked Dick.
“He had a great deal to say,” answered Dan. He looked around at several who had entered the reading room “Come up to my room and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“We will—after we have notified the clerk where we will be,” said Dick. “We are waiting for a message from our father.”
The boys engaged their rooms and had their dress-suit cases taken up. A few minutes later the whole crowd entered the apartment Dan Baxter occupied. They noticed that it was well-kept and that on the bureau rested a photograph of Dan’s father.
“How is he, Dan?” asked Dick, motioning to the picture.
“Fairly well. He is getting old, you know.”
“When you see him next, give him our regards.”
“I will,” answered Dan, and then he motioned the Rovers to seats and sank down on the edge of the bed with something of a sigh. In spite of his success as a commercial traveler Dan could not help but think of his own past and of his father’s past. How his father might have prospered, even as the Rovers had prospered, had he followed the path of fairness and honor! He had reformed now, but this reform had come too late in life to enable him to make another start in the business world. Dan was supporting him, and father and son were glad enough to have the Rovers drop their many just causes of complaint against them.
“I can tell you I was much surprised to see Josiah Crabtree,” said Dan, after a pause. “I ask him how he happened to be out of prison, and he said he was let go because of his good behavior.”
“That would make me laugh,” interrupted Tom. “Think of old Crabtree on his good behavior!”